Parañaque Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan has proposed the grant of an annual P5,000 stipend for all qualified students enrolled in public and private schools from the elementary to the college level, and a higher P10,000 grant for those who have excelled academically.
Yamsuan, in House Bill 2657, said the measure aims to equip Filipino students with the resources they need to encourage them to stay in school and complete their education.
The proposed BAON Para sa Estudyante Act also covers learners under the Alternative Learning System (ALS).
“The stipend we are proposing should not be seen as a doleout. Hindi po ito ayuda kundi investment in our country’s greatest asset—our people, most especially our youth,” Yamsuan said.
“The Baon Para sa Estudyante Act will equip our children with the means to shape their own future and create opportunities for themselves and their communities,” he added.
Yamsuan said implementing his proposal may come at a high price, but the return on this investment — a well-informed, educated citizenry from which the nation will choose its future leaders — far outweighs the cost that it would entail.
He said the bill contains a provision which directs the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) “to study and consider the adoption of a tiered system based on income brackets to ensure that students with the most urgent financial need are prioritized.”
